Undergarment clasp



- H. BAIN, UNDERGARMEN'I'. CLASP- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, I920.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

Mil

ity. which may be quickly attached to and removed frointhe Patented Dec. i2, was. I

EENRY BAIN, or ci-iroeeo', ILLINOIS.

oii'rnnncanivinnr sneer.

App1ication filed February 24., 1920'. Serial teases.

To all whom it may concern;

. Be it known that L HENRY Barn a cit- .izen of the-United States, .residing'at 1, the city of Chicago, in the county oi Cook and r State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful I .provements in Undeig'arment Clasps, 03" which the following is a specification.

v This invention relates to improvements in undergarment claspsfor' supporting hose, tucks in shirt sleeves for shortening their length,etc., and particularly those which, for their attachment, have heretofore required that they penetrate thefabric and that they i be suspended in their operative position from an elastic band surrounding the limbs of the wearer, which are 01 undesirable thickness and laclring in flatness to the discomfort of the wearer.

The object of my invention is an undergarment clasp adapted to be se cured in its operative position without penetrating thefabric of the undergarment, and

my invention is .a and cheap in construction, of the fewest number of parts consistent with. its strength and capability of being secured to the garment without "liabilto accidental detachment therefrom, and

garment and garments of the wearer. f With these endsin view, my invention finds embodiment in certain features of'novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement'oi parts by were. the objects are attained, all as here nafter fully described withireierence to the accompanyfing drawings and more particularly. pointed out in the claims. 1 I

In said drawings Fig. 1

nection with an elastic band surrounding the limb and limbs of the wearer.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, illustrating means for connecting a pair of clasps of my invention for supporting-the one garment broadly stated,

is a front elevation of .a clasp in which my invention finds its embodiment, illustrating its adaptability for use n corn from another, in the-absence of theirs-e of a .band i'or surrounding wearer.

the limbs of the Fig. 3 is a similarview,ona larger scale, showing my clasp in its operative position vnpon' a hose suspended therefrom.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line- 15st of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a similar view indicatingthe position of the clamping jaws relativeto thev suspended; fabric, preceding their locking engagement v h s a similarview, illustrating the OPGIELtlVQ position or" the clampingjaws in .rlocked engagement with a hose or other garment. Fig. 7 line of lhg. 3; and

8 is a front elevation of the claspin its locked engagen'ient with a hose or other arment. I

drawings. l

The clasp otmy invention comprisesan open Iraine consisting of sine harsh-9 and end bars 10 and 11, of elongated rectangular form, but may have its side bars extendalong converging lines 101" gradually narrowing it towards one end, as illustrated insti l? figuresrof the drawings, except, possibly, Fig. 8, wherein the side bars 99 are substantially parallel, the frames in both vinstances being preferably formed by bending it from one piece of wirev held together at its meeting ends .by a cross-bar 18 hereinafter-referred to. 4 l .Pivoted to the end bars 10 and 11', respectively,.are. yaws' lQ and 13, preferably not bladelilre rem, and which, forconve'nience of descriptionhereafter, arerespeclength, both of which arefiat and of a width soniewhatless than the distance be is a transverse section taken on Similar characters of reference indicate the same parts inthe severalfigures oi the tively referred to as a ,long jaw andfaf I "short yaw, owing to the difference in their tween the sidebars oi thecl'asp, and are preferably made of thin sheet metal, bone,

celluloid or ivory, but may be of wood and, for ornamental purposes, if desired, stained, painted or. enameled to conform to the color of the garment to be'supported or from which the, clasp "is suspended, and itwould he no departure from my invention to pro vide the frame and with a textile or leather coverstitched or cemented thereto.

The jaws .12 1-3 are respectively pivoted to the end bars 10 and ll and preferably by means of lateral perforations l4 and 15, through each jaw, providing for sleeving them on the wire for the frame before bend ing it to form. i For suspending the clasp in its operative position, the jaw 12 is provided with transverse perforations 16-16 for stitching or riveting it to a tape '17, as indicated in Figs. land 2, which-may be non-elastic when the 'claspis connected with an elastic band surrounding the limb of the wearer, which, however, preferably consists of an elastic tapewhen two clasps are connected, as shown in Fig/ 2 and indicated in the re- "maining figures ofthe drawing.

The oscillating movement'of the jaw 13 is limited a' 'cross-bar 18 secured at its oppositeends to the side bars of the "clasp, an d which operates as a stop, preventing the smaller jaw 13 from moving beyond theoperative plane of the longer jaw, for facilitating the engagement of Y the shorter jaw when'moving'it to a position for clamping the fabric 19 between the two jaws, as will prese'ntly be explained.

The jaws 12 and 18, adjacent their free ends, are preferably.beveled, as indicated at l8 and 19 respectively, so that when swung to their operative position, their infcline'd surfaces will liein parallel planes,

that the shorter jaw may operate (see Fig. 6) to provide areverse fold in the fabric for" locking it in its operative position.

' inseam-son, for the suspension of hose, for example, from the drawers of the wearer, the longer jaw 1.2 is pro ected 1nwardly of and somewhat below wthe ltop edge oft-he hose, as indicated in ,l-and 5, with the shorter jaw held in f the pos tion shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the longer jaw isthen pushed through the frame'slightly beyond the same, followed by swinging'the shorter jawto its operative position, and

' then pressing the longer jaw inwardly vtowards the shorter .jaw i ntil fi lrther movement isresisted ,by the shorter jaw, an d thesh orter jaw has forcedithe fabric inwardly over the inclined surface of the longer jaw, as shown in Fig. 6, and fqrmed a crimp in the fabric between the opposingjaws, operating to maintain both jaws in their operative position and the fabric from,

accidental detachment therefrom.

It is nowjt o be observed that the sides of the longer jaw diverge its pointed pivoted to its free ends and that, therefore,

the greater the pull npon thefabric, the

more firmly will be held ofi this jaw, and this even though it may not be pinched tightly between the side edges of the jaw and the frame. J In this connection it is proper to note that the shorter jaw corresponds in with. the opposing end of the longer jaw.

Between the wedging action of the fabric on the longer jaw and'the fold formed over the end of this jaw by the shorter jaw,

there can be, inprdinary use, nostrain upon the fabric tending to puncture or tear it,

.or .WhlChL-Will enable it to escape the grip wearer, shown in 1, but oneclasp'is 8 necessary.

For connecting opposing plaits formed in shirt'sleeves forshortening'them, the jaws are preferably connected by an elastic tape, as shown in Fig. the manipulation of the jaws 'forclasping the plagits being precisely the same asthat for securing Jone of the 4 jaws to underwear and the other to'hoSiery suspended therefrom; I

By the use of afwire frame and fiat jaws pivoted to the end bars thereof, as I have shown {and describedthem to be, my invention provides effecti fe clasp for underwear, not only of a minimiim number of parts, cheap 0 that upon the opposing flesh of the, wearer and without presenting projections orithick- HQSS, m dias t ea .d z 661116 mr j j As a means for increasing the capacity of the clasp for several thicknesses of fabric,

jdueftonamerons folds for therein,

h "le e'a f iey a e t g c t away, as nd1eated at2Q+-20 in Fig. 8,thereby increasing the space hetweenthe longitudinal edgesand the-frame accordingly for the purposes of greater ,thickne ssfo f fabric between these twammb'e'rs. j

Having described iny invention, what]: claim and desire to secure Letters Patent is:

undergarment clasp, consisting of an open frame, rigid clamping jaws o ne' end ofeach of which aws is pivoted directly to said frame, one of which fjaws is movable thrash he praise sa dfia ,elaniping position.

, Ah de sarm ;le$p, nsist n an open frame, iclampmg jaws one'end of each of jaws is pivoted'directly to sald frame, bothof whichjaws are movable r ugh t nin 1 1 sai Zf m t their clee i er s a e 3. An undergarment clasp, consisting of I construction and effective in operation, but a clasp so thin that it will lie.

an open frame, rigid clamping jaws movable through the frame pivoted at one end to said frame with their free ends overlapping each other in their clamping position.

4. An undergarment clasp, consisting of an open frame, rigid clamping jaws one end of each of which is pivoted to said frame, the free ends of both of which jaws are beveled, overlapping each other, and being adapted to directly contact with the material clamped between them. i

5. An undergarment clasp consisting of a frame, jaws pivoted at one end to opposite sides of said frame, the free ends of which are beveled and overlap each other in their operative position.

6. An undergarment clasp consisting of an open frame, jaws pivoted to two of the opposing side bars of said frame, and a stop limiting the pivotal movement of one of said aws.

J 7. An undergarment clasp consisting of an open continuous wire frame, a pair of jaws pivotally sleeved adjacent one end upon opposing side bars of said frame, the free ends of which jaws overlap each other in their operative position.

8. An undergarment clasp consisting of an open frame, a pair of jaws respectively pivotally connected at their outer ends with said frame, and adapted to overlap each other at their inner ends, the side edges of one of which jaws diverge from its pivotal support to its free end for the purposes described.

9. An undergarment clasp consisting of a wire frame, fiat sheetlike jaws pivotally at its free end corresponds with that ofthe.

free end of the other jaw.

10. An undergarment clasp consisting of an open wire frame, jaws pivotally sleeved on said frame, one of which is longer than the other and diverges outwardly at its limiting the movement of the shorter jaw, both of which said jaws are provided'adjacent their free ends with opposing beveled surfaces whereby in their operative position upon a fabric the fabric is held against slipping longitudinally on the longer jaw, and a crimp is formed in the fabric adjacent their free ends locking it against lateral displacement from between the jaws.

11. An undergarment clasp consisting of a continuous substantially rectangular frame edges towards its free end, a stop for and formed of wire bent to form, opposing aws sleeved upon the end bars of said frame towards their outer ends, provided at their inner ends with opposing beveled surfaces adapted to overlap each other in their operative position, the side edges of one of which jaws diverge from its pivotal support towards the free end thereof, said frame be ing provided with a cross-bar forming a stop limiting the pivotal movement of the shorter jaw.

HENRY BAIN. 

